It’s easy to get overwhelmed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. So many shows, so little time. Which makes it especially wonderful when you dig a little deeper to find a performer who isn’t a big name. Like Juliette Burton. Hailing from the UK, Burton’s When I Grow Up is an enchanting, whimsical and engaging docu-comedy filled with colourful powerpoint presentations, video interviews and a special appearance by Randy the Puppet.
When you’re young, the sky’s the limit with what you imagine you can do. In Burton’s case, she wanted to be a ballerina, a baker, a princess, a popstar and a Muppet, just to name a few. However, these dreams tend to fade as we ‘grow up’ and we end up in jobs we have no passion for. So Burton asks us what you would do if you could realise your childhood dream. From here, we are led on a hilarious, touching and poignant tale of her attempts to revisit her childhood dream jobs with varying success. Interspersed with video footage where Burton interviews friends and family about what they wanted to be versus what they do now, you can’t help but be drawn to Burton’s sense of joy and amazing energy.
Burton doesn’t shy away from being achingly honest about her past and it is such honesty that brings this show to the next level. Burton is a true storyteller and it is a beautiful hour of theatre. It is a reminder to all of us that sometimes we need to take a step back, reassess our lives and occasionally remember what we wanted to be when we grew up.
BY MYF CLARK
